


Vagabond Soulmate

by xwaterloobridge



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fake AH Crew, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-07-23 21:21:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7480575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xwaterloobridge/pseuds/xwaterloobridge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You're just getting settled in Los Santos, but you know you're being watched.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

You knew he watched you. 

The man in the skull mask. The man in the leather jacket. The [you guess you didn’t know for sure that he was a man, but that’s what the media said] man you only ever spotted in the corner of your eye.

The Vagabond. 

You had no idea why he watched, but you knew that he did. You had only ever had one close encounter with him, and that happened to be on your very first day of work. You were in a convenience store, still wearing your nametag from the bank. Your soulmark was showing, like it always did- five silver dots in a swirl pattern on your hand. You let it show, wanting to watch it turn gold the very moment you touched your soulmate for the very first time. You had reached a point in your life where you were looking forward to it. It seemed difficult to imagine sometimes, that there was someone out there perfect for you, and that they wore your mark as surely as you wore theirs. 

The men had burst very suddenly into the store, shouting for everyone to get down. You had known that Los Santos was a dangerous city, but you hadn’t expected that you’d be in an armed robbery your very first week there! The Vagabond had been the second one in, instilling fear in all present. He silently held out a bag as one man yelled at everyone to hand over their wallets. You did so, but your bare hand was caught by his black leather gloved one. He let go after a short second, allowing your wallet to fall in the bag. Once he’d finished collecting them, he tapped the clear leader on the shoulder and stalked out. For some reason, the robbery seemed cut short, and you walked away without a scratch.  
Since then, it was a mystery to you why yours was the only bank branch in Los Santos that hadn’t been hit at least once, maybe more. The. Only. One. You spotted him in the corner of your vision as you walked past alleyways, as you exited the store, or as a dark spot on a ledge across the street from your apartment. Could you even be certain that it was the same man? Somehow, yes, you could. 

You went about your own routine: the coffee shop every morning, then work, the grocery store twice a week, then home to read or cook or obsessively follow the news. You always looked specifically for mentions of the Vagabond. What you read should have scared you, but since he’d never done anything but watch you, you never felt afraid. You met other people, you shook hands, but your soulmark remained silver. 

One morning, you opened up your door like normal to see the masked man standing there, a coffee cup and bag in his hands. This was the first time you had seen him up close in months, since your first week in Los Santos. He held the items out to you wordlessly, as if this was normal. You accepted them equally silently. Suddenly, you realize that your order was correctly written on the cup, but that instead of a name was written “Don’t go to work today”. He looked at you, tapped the writing on the cup twice, and left too quickly for you to track. 

You went anyway, after quickly consuming the muffin in the bag. You had never been much good at following instructions, and you knew also that you couldn’t afford to miss work today. Two of your coworkers were on vacation, and there was nobody to cover you if you didn’t show up. You needed this job. If masked man didn’t want you there, he could have given you a reason why. 

It was about two hours into your shift when you realized that the masked man was right- you SHOULD have stayed home. That was approximately ten seconds after the first shot rang out, a warning shot into the ceiling followed by a man yelling “Get down! Nobody has to get hurt here if you cooperate!” 

The security guard decided to shoot back, and promptly got gunned down by another member of the gang… of the Fake Achievement Hunter Crew, to be exact. They were easy enough to pick out, if you happened to follow the news closely to track the movements of the Vagabond. You cowered behind your desk, wishing that it was bigger. More gunshots, and for a reason you couldn’t quite name, you poked up your head and shoulders to get an idea of what was going on. Before you knew it, a stray bullet had grazed your arm. It wasn’t a direct hit, but was enough to make you bleed, and certainly enough to make you let out a scream and slump back down behind your desk, clutching your upper left arm. More shots rang out, closer this time, and some very heavy footsteps fell next to you.

The Vagabond loomed ominously above you. 

Before you had time to do anything but stare- and feel a little guilty for your presence- he scooped you up, ignoring your undignified squeak at being unexpectedly moved. He cradled you with surprising gentleness, given that you were in the middle of a gunfight. He didn’t run, but walked with proud, smooth strides to a back exit that even you hadn’t known about. He took you to a waiting car, slid into the back, and growled out “Go” to the driver. You didn’t notice much, focused on the sting of your arm. You barely had time to register that you were in a big, fancy parking garage before the masked man whisked you off into the elevator, taking you to the penthouse. You still hadn’t actually said anything to him, meeting his silence with silence- though you did notice that it was a very firm chest you were being cradled against. Once in the luxurious penthouse, you were promptly plopped down on a bathroom counter, with the man in the skull mask busying himself bandaging your arm. He did it with precision- clearly not his first time cleaning or bandaging wounds. As your mind wandered away from your wound, you noted that he still wore his entire getup, gloves and all. Not an inch of skin showed. 

Finally, he inspected your bandaged arm and found it acceptable. He picked you up again- you didn’t bother with a squeak of protest this time- and walked you from the bathroom directly into the adjoining bedroom. He set you gently down on the bed. Given the scent of the room and the sniffs you had tried to sneak in the elevator, you felt safe assuming that these were his living quarters. You looked up from your spot on the [very comfy] bed to see the Vagabond staring down at you. Finally, you needed to speak.

“What am I doing here?” you asked him with a sigh. He paused before yanking off his mask. You gave a small noise of surprise, and tried to make out his face. You could tell he had strong features, but they were all covered in a thick layer of facepaint. You stood up off the bed, a little wobbly at first, but he held up one finger to stop your progress toward him.

“Wait here,” he said with a gruff voice. You sat back down, and he pressed your eyes closed. “Just wait.”

You sat there, feeling awkward sitting by yourself with your eyes closed. You hear him back in the en suite bathroom, splashing some water. You can hardly contain your excitement as you hear his heavy footsteps coming toward you once more. What was it about this man? He should have scared you, but he didn’t. Given who he was, he probably should have KILLED you, but he hadn’t. You knew that he had been watching you, and it finally felt like you were going to get some answers.

“Okay,” said the deep voice. “You can open your eyes now.” Your eyes flew open, instantly meeting startling blue eyes. Oh, my, the Vagabond was HANDSOME. He had wispy blonde hair tucked into a ponytail, strong and charming features, and steely blue eyes that you automatically adored. You wanted to giggle when he raised a single eyebrow at you- this deadly assassin was incredibly cute. 

“Why are you showing me this?” you asked somewhat breathlessly, genuinely curious. He looked in your eyes, still hesitant, before he lifted one gloved hand to another and quickly drew off both his gloves. Your eyes immediately go to his silvery soulmark- it’s a match for your own. 

You gasped. Your hand flew up to compare marks, but you didn’t touch his skin. You were nervous, now… Clearly he had known about this for some time now, and had chosen not to tell you. Had he only brought you here, shown you this, because you were injured? You weren’t sure what to feel- hurt? Excitement? Anger? 

A wave of calm washed over you as he brought his hand the inch closer that was required to touch skin with you. You watched as both your soulmarks shimmered, then turned the most perfect shade of gold. You felt the warmth of your skin meeting, and you felt the soulmate bond take a firmer hold on you. You weren’t hurt, you weren’t mad, you were just … there with him. 

He let out a sigh of contentment and your eyes snapped back to his face. He looks actually quite pleased with himself. Oh, this is all YOURS now! His hand catches yours and he pulls you closer. Stepping into the arms of the Vagabond feels more amazing than you could have imagined. Wait, you don’t even know your soulmate’s name and ohhh he’s kissing you, gripping his hand around the back of your head and kissing you like there’s no tomorrow. You get as engrossed in it as he does, and forget your questions as he sheds his jacket. You discover that you really very much like him in only a tight black shirt. 

He has to steady the both of you as you throw yourself into the kiss. Finally, he’s the one to pull away…. Though after he plants a kiss on your neck, you’re sorely tempted to pounce on him again. You laugh a little bit, giddy with the feeling. He’s grinning at you, too. You begin to open your mouth to ask a million questions, but he anticipates you. 

“Ryan. My name is Ryan.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Ryan argue about the future.

“Abso-fucking-lutely not.”

It was your second night at the penthouse, and this was Ryan’s response to Ray’s not so innocent question of whether or not you could handle a gun, because they could use an extra hand. 

You had been congregated around the large dining room table, wolfing down takeout and getting to know each other. Since it was discovered that you and Ryan were soulmates, he hadn’t let you out of his reach. [You were woman enough to admit that it could also partly be due to the gunshot wound.] 

“Well, why not give it a try?” You shrugged and smiled at the man in the purple hoodie. “After all, I somewhat doubt I have a job anymore.” Given that they had hospitalized your boss and half your coworkers, you hadn’t quite been able to check. 

“No,” growled out your soulmate. “Not a chance.” The entire focus of the room turned to Ryan, whose set expression should have said all it needed to. 

“Ryan, c’mon, we could always just see how she is. Or at least she could be a driver….” This was Geoff’s attempt at reasoning with him. You weren’t sure why he bothered, as  
you hadn’t proven yourself, but you appreciated the effort. 

“She got hurt a couple of days ago and she wasn’t even involved! No.” 

You glared at Ryan, not fond of him talking as though you weren’t there and as though you didn’t have an opinion. “SHE would like to try it out.” 

He sighed and looked directly at you this time. “No.”

“Ryan, what are you going to do, keep me in this penthouse the rest of my life so I don’t get hurt?”

“Yes.”

“Preferably in his bed! Boom!” This was Ray’s addition to the conversation. You both turned to glare at him instead of at each other.

“Could we speak about this? Alone, please?” You asked Ryan. He sighed and nodded. You knew that his expression meant his mind was made up, but why not see if you could change it? You really didn’t know what you’d be doing with your time if you couldn’t run with the Fake AH Crew. Earlier in the day, Ryan had appeared to lose all the color in his face when you suggested going by your apartment by yourself while he talked to the rest of the gang. If he couldn’t even handle you going out by yourself, what would you DO while you he was busy? 

The instant the bedroom door closed behind you, you opened your mouth to draw breath and argue with him. You found your mouth otherwise occupied, however, by your handsome soulmate kissing you. He moved closer and gripped you by your shoulders, knowing from this short experience that you would mold yourself to him and plunge deeper into the kiss. 

You could never get enough of this. Not only did you feel the soulmate bond rushing through you, electrifying your touches, but Ryan was a sinfully good kisser. In addition, he never pulled back from your hands roaming his muscular chest and tight shirts- oh yes, that was a big plus. Did soulmates ever get tired of kissing, you wondered? Maybe after progressing further… but, having known each other for all of 36 hours, your relationship hadn’t gone there yet…. 

Wait. Relationship?

You pushed Ryan back slightly, unusual for you. “Are we dating?” you asked with a frown, feeling like this was a question you should really know the answer to. Ryan’s very expressive brow furled. 

“Dating?” he questioned. “We’re soulmates.” 

“Wait, so am I your girlfriend?” He still looked adorably confused.

“Girlfriend? You’re my soulmate,” he said. “You’re…. more.” This, at least, made you smile. 

“I know we’re THAT,” you said. “But I was just wondering. Do we have a relationship? Are we dating? Am I your girlfrie-“ This last bit was cut off as Ryan came in for another kiss, cutting off your questions. [Since becoming comfortable with him, you’d hit him with the hundreds of questions you had saved up since your first encounter.]

“We’re soulmates,” he said firmly. “We’re whatever you want us to be. Boyfriend, girlfriend, partners, whatever it is that two people who are destined to be together are.” You really had no answer for this. He did- he kissed you again. You relaxed into him before pulling back with another question.

“Why can’t I-“

“Because I don’t want you to get hurt,” he interrupted again. “I’ve spent literally all my free time since I’ve met you trying to keep you out of harm’s way, only for you to get hurt under my very nose. Literally the last thing I want to do is be a part of actively putting you in the line of fire.”  
“Ryan,” you tried to explain. “I need something to DO. I can’t stay in this penthouse forever-“

“-we have access to the roof, too-“

“- and I’m already a PART of this, because of who you are. Wouldn’t it at least be smarter to, I don’t know, teach me a few tips and tricks? Somehow you guys have managed to keep each other alive for this long, I’d probably be better off as one of you than as a helpless target for others.” You smiled at him and rubbed his shoulders in a way that you thought was maybe reassuring. “I’ll be fine. I won’t bite off more than I can chew, and I won’t go with you on heists until I’m ready. Okay?”

He sighed in resignation and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, since I doubt I have much of a choice.” He was right there. He suddenly met your gaze with fierce eyes. “But you won’t go out until I’VE said you’re ready, got it? And we’re trying you out as a sniper first, as far away as you can get. And body armor, missy, you’re wearing body armor-“ It was your turn to cut him off with a kiss, knowing that your soulmate had given up as much as he could be reasonably expected to… for tonight, at least. 

He kissed you deeply, as he always did. You hadn’t yet gotten just a peck from this man. He always took you and held you like you were the most precious thing on earth to him. It always seemed to pain him when you two stopped touching… and perhaps you were beginning to understand it. His lifestyle didn’t lend itself to feeling super safe. Now that you had a soulmate, you understood how it could feel physically painful to imagine them being harmed. As long as you were in Ryan’s arms, he could feel like you were safe. The thought just led you to lose yourself further into his kiss. 

This kiss turned from slow and sweet to hard and intense, and you were not complaining. The kiss had started with Ryan sitting on the bed, tired and resigned, with you leaning over him…. But as the kiss went on, he moved back onto the bed, bringing you with him. You had been wearing one of his shirts- it was big on you, but you didn’t have any other clothing. Before long, he reversed you so that you laid on the bed and his muscular figure loomed over you, his hands brushing over your hips, your neck, your chest… and you absolutely loved it. Your hands went to his hair and you raked your nails lightly over his scalp. Oh, you had a soulmate and you loved it, loved it….. This was your happy place. You just didn’t need anything but him. 

Except that you did. You needed a life, you needed adventure…. And he was going to help you have it.

“Ryan?” you asked. 

“Mmmmhhhmm??” was about as close to his reply as you could translate.

“… Would you like to come back to my apartment with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and comments! I beg you, more please! Also, I'm on tumblr as agentbloodgulch.... I would consider it a personal favor if you like and share it! In addition, I will absolutely accept requests, reader insert or not. I just want attention, okay?
> 
> Smut next chapter if I get there- meaning that if you want more, TELL ME! I'm not going to write more if nobody gives a crap.
> 
> Thank you to all previous comments. I appreciate it just so much.


	3. Chapter Three

You weren’t sure how it got this awkward. Why couldn’t you have just jumped his bones in HIS bedroom, instead of dragging him to your apartment? It felt like you were doing a walk of shame before you’d even had sex, marching past the rest of the FAHC to leave the penthouse. There were catcalls, wolf whistles, and some suggestions that didn’t even pretend to be subtle. It took all you had to keep a straight face and walk out with Ryan, exhaling as you waited for the elevator.

“You know, there are mirrors on the wall, I can see you grimace.” There was humor in his voice, but he was right. You spun around and made a face.

“I hate that they know EVERYTHING!” You liked Ryan’s “co-workers” very well, well enough that you’d soon be training to work with them. The real problem was that the Fake Achievement Hunter Crew was ALWAYS together- and that included your soulmate. It was clear to you that secrets were not tolerated in the penthouse. On the plus side, they NEVER talked behind your back. They were perfectly willing to gossip in front of you, asking intensely personal questions and making their own speculations aloud. 

Apparently, Ryan had previously been able to hold himself above the idle chatter, teasing, and gossip… but after he had introduced a soulmate, it was open season on you both. 

And it went the other way, too- you had NEVER asked to know as much as you did about the sex lives of these men. Who would have thought that crime lord Geoff Ramsey sometimes liked… no, no. You weren’t even going to relive being told that. 

It actually got worse, though. Gavin and Michael… were not quiet. Admittedly, you hadn’t expected Gavin to be quiet in any context, but you were convinced that Michael yelled just for the sake of letting everyone know what was going on. Geoff and Jack were quiet and subtle, at least, but the frequency with which you found random doors locked- including, once, Ryan’s bathroom- was somewhat inconvenient. Ray was in some ways the best and in some ways the worst- he hadn’t met his soulmate yet, and therefore couldn’t flaunt anything but his virgin status… yet, he seemed to love keeping up a running commentary on the lives of everyone else in the penthouse. You weren’t looking forward to his analysis of your first time with Ryan. 

The elevator came and you slumped into it with a sigh. After only a few floors, Ryan suddenly reached out and hit the stop button. You became alert, not knowing what he was up to. He turned to you, a look in his eyes that you weren’t familiar with yet.

“Hey,” he said softly, stepping toward you. 

“Hey,” you said, involuntarily smiling back at your soulmate. He stepped toward you and gently swooped you into a kiss. He pulled back to look at you, and brushed a piece of hair from your face. 

“Someone’s always going to know what’s going on, you know,” he said to you softly. “Maybe not the specifics, in this matter at least, but someone is always going to know.”  
You frowned slightly. This wasn’t exactly as romantic as it could be, nor was it something you wanted to hear. Ryan kept petting your hair… it was your weakness and you were relaxing. 

“It’s how we survive,” he continued. “There is never a second where I don’t know where to find my crew, or they don’t know where to find me. They’ll always know where to find you, too- it’s how we stay safe and how we protect each other. We have to have absolute trust, and that just happens to mean that sometimes we’re a little bit further involved in each other’s business than we would like.”

“Seems to me like some people don’t mind much!” 

“You mean like Michael and Ray? They’re trying to make you feel better. Trust me, it’s an adjustment for us all at first.” You could understand that.

“Make me feel better? Weird, that seems so similar to trying to annoy you by annoying me…” 

Ryan grimaced. “I was hoping that perhaps you had missed that bit.”

You giggled a bit, perking up at the close proximity to your soulmate. “Not a chance.” 

He stepped closer to you, pushing you up against the wall of the elevator and boxing you in with his arms. “I hope you can get used to it.” 

That was said less to your face and more to your neck. Well, into your neck. Yes, his lips were moving quite delightfully on your neck and you involuntarily moved closer to him, arching your back slightly. Ryan lets out that animalistic growl which you just love, and you do your very best to move closer to him than ever. 

His hands run up and down your body, feeling out every curve. Soon, his hands dip under your shirt to feel your curves and your skin. He sneaks one hand inside your bra and… stroked.

“Ryan!” you gasped loudly, bucking a bit and pulling away from him.

“What?” he asked, with that devilish smile of his, raising one eyebrow- and he KNEW what that did to you. You sputtered to find an answer, finally settling on gesturing at the security camera sticking out from the top right corner. 

Ryan sighed in resignation, stepped back, let you compose yourself, and pulled out his gun.

“RYAN.” 

He shook his head, turned the gun around, and used the butt of it to smash the security camera to bits. It took a few hits, but by the third blow it was unrecognizable. 

“There,” he said smugly, holstering his gun and stepping back to you. You were absolutely stunned, and didn’t make a single move when he moved back and hoisted you up.   
Your legs automatically went around his waist, and he supported your weight against the wall of the elevator. He skipped the neck kissing this time, going straight for your lips and taking no prisoners. 

The kiss was hard, and demanding, and you only took a few seconds to start kissing him back with equal fervor. His hands went right back to their spot under your shirt, and went to unsnap your bra with that perfect dexterity you would expect from him. Despite always wearing gloves for jobs, his hands had become rough from any number of side projects, and it created a beautiful friction against your nipples. He alternated perfectly between rubbing and squeezing and you just absolutely lost yourself to it. 

He let you stand on the floor only long enough to divest you of your shirt, pants, and underwear, and to do the same to himself. You knew this wasn’t quite the traditional place to consummate one’s relationship, but in a weird way it worked for Ryan. A small place, littered with broken parts, charged with the electricity that flowed between you… this was what you wanted and needed right now. Sure, it might have been nice to lie down, but you were completely ready for him. He had moved his hand down and was rubbing a particular part that you very much enjoyed. He was alert and ready, but he seemed hesitant at first. 

“Ryan,” you managed to sputter out. 

“Yes, baby?” he asked, his lips back on your neck as you rubbed against each other. You were aching to feel him, aching to be closer. “I’m not going until you’re ready.”

“Now, Ryan, I’m ready NOW!” He plunged into you smoothly, and you fisted your hands in his hair. He supported your weight as he moved in and out of you, kissing and licking and biting and sucking at your neck as though it was the only way he could survive. You had thrown your head back and just enjoyed the incredible friction you were feeling from your soulmate. One hand stayed in his hair, steadying you as your bodies moved frantically, while the other hand roamed his chest, feeling his hard and firm muscles. The warmth of his body had heated you up even more, and the sweat on your bodies just added to the moving mass that was your connection. 

Neither of you were going to last long.

Ryan fit inside you perfectly, just the perfect size to make you feel full but not too much. You moaned, a sound that only spurred him on. He increased the pace, and your breathing sped up. The tingling between your thighs was more intense than anything you had ever expected to feel. There went the soul bond, intensifying the connection between you two. You knew that he would be feeling the same, as though he just couldn’t get enough of you, couldn’t possibly get far enough inside you….

“Ryan. Ryan, I’m going to…” You could literally feel his smile in your neck as you tried to gasp out your warning.

“Now. Now, beautiful.” You two let go and climaxed at the same time, finding the very peak of ecstasy together. There was a rush to both your head and another part of your anatomy, filling you up completely, body and soul. As you began to slump down, Ryan remained standing enough to support the both of you. You sighed a satisfied breath, looping your arms around his neck and looking up at him with a shit- eating grin. Ryan smiled down at you, kissed you on the forehead, and very carefully set you on your feet away from the smashed camera. 

Piece by piece, he dressed you and then himself. You were careful to not step on broken glass, trusting him to guide you around it.

You just kept looking at him with that loopy grin while he allowed the elevator to continue its path downwards.

The exit to the elevator, however, ended up being blocked…. By a very angry looking Geoff. 

“I have two different alarms blaring because of you,” he began. “The camera was out in the elevator- the ONLY elevator, so I WALKED down the stairs- and I couldn’t tell anyone what was going on because I didn’t know… Please, please tell me this isn’t all because you couldn’t possibly think of a better place to have sex?” 

You giggled, dragging Ryan toward the cars. You knew that the entire FAHC was going to hear about this within minutes…. But, for the moment, you COULD think of a better place to have sex.

You planned to do so.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan knows you so well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, readers. I have to say, I was discouraged by the last chapter. It's my fault, really- I am just so uncomfortable writing smut. I did it, because smut often makes works better or more popular, but I really should have known better than to write it just for those reasons.
> 
> So, I won't be writing any more smut. It just isn't me and I'm just not comfortable with it. 
> 
> This, however, came to me in an instant while I watched my murder mysteries. I kind of like it!

It was your birthday.

At first, you actually didn’t want to let the crew know. You didn’t lie- they knew when you lied- but you certainly didn’t go out of your way to tell them. Some secret part of you hoped that Ryan wouldn’t know, either. 

That was silly.

Apart from the fact that he was your soulmate, and that he’d seen your ID, you were fairly certain that Ryan could find out anything about you, even things that didn’t seem possible. This wasn’t an idle speculation. There had been an entire week in which you’d left him in bed to change in the walk in closet. Once you exited fully clothed, he’d made a point of looking you up and down with a smirk. “Red,” he’d say- or whatever color underwear you’d put on in the privacy of the closet. God only knew how he knew, but he did. He always did.

His knowledge extended to your emotions. This, you didn’t really mind. When you felt out of sorts, or sad for no real reason, your soulmate would come up behind you to hold you close. Your heart melted immediately. Later, he’d ask you to talk to him, ask you to spill everything out to him. You always would, even though sometimes all you could say was that it was better, that you were good. 

More often, though, he just knew. He’d make you laugh. You had been such a guarded person, before! These days, he was constantly making you laugh. As any human being would, you sometimes got sad. He fixed it so easily- he’d pinch your butt, tickle your sides, kiss your cheek. Making you happy seemed to be an obsession for Ryan Haywood. If the girlfriend wasn’t happy, the Vagabond wasn’t happy. 

Nobody in Los Santos wanted the Vagabond to be unhappy.

For your birthday, then, it made sense that Ryan would make a big deal. For as scary as he could be- and LIKED to be- he was truly a romantic when it came to you. It was actually one of your wilder fantasies that a reporter found out that he’d bring you tea while wearing only his underwear. Or…. perhaps not. You couldn’t guarantee that they’d live through the experience.

When you walked out of the closet on the morning of your birthday, Ryan was gone. This was unusual. Generally, Ryan liked to be certain that you were properly situated prior to going out on his murderly errands. Unlike the rest of the crew, Ryan allowed himself to be hired out by various other entities. His status as a freelancer had proven valuable over the years. Given that people DID sometimes want members of the crew dead, it seemed useful to keep a line on those observing Los Santos’s most wanted.

You walked out of the bedroom on the morning of your birthday without fearing anything. You didn’t know- yet- than anything was in store for you.

There was a Jet Ski in the living room.

You had reason, at first, to blink and shake your head. The big thing in the living room was covered in cupcake wrapping paper- even down to separating the handles and the brake. Individual cords were wrapped, and you’d be willing to bet that some of the interior components were wrapped as well. 

“Ryan?” you said in a groan. “What the hell?” 

He poked his head out of the front hallway. 

“Yes?” he said, as though he were completely oblivious to the hardware in the middle of the penthouse.

“Would you happen to know why the coffee table has been replaced by…. what I assume is a Jet Ski?”

Ryan raised one eyebrow. “Are you sure?” he asked. “I mean, have you checked?” This tone was hopeful.

“If you wanted us to go Jet Skiing, you could have asked. You didn’t have to-“ 

“It was a gift,” he said, annoyance seeping in. “You’re supposed to open it- and at least pretend to like it.” 

You sighed. Ryan pouting, while a rare sight, was completely irresistible. 

“Okay,” you said with a deep sigh. “But at least come out here while I unwrap it.”

He obediently came and sat on the couch. You began recklessly tearing off the paper on what turned out to be- a Jet Ski! What a surprise!

Something that was ACTUALLY a surprise was the small metallic sound of something falling off of the seat. You reached down to retrieve it, knowing that Ryan would be hurt if you missed an aspect of his present. 

This metallic thing, you thought as you reached down, had seemed pretty shiny. And round, you realized. And…. Exactly your size. 

“Ryan,” you gasped.

His grin was real, huge, and all for you. 

“This seemed like a good excuse to ask,” he said proudly.

You were still stunned. “Yes,” you said stupidly. “Yes. Really, yes.”

By now he’d taken you into his arms, grinning like the madman he truly was. 

“I hate to break up this moment…. but there’s an engagement party waiting for us in the harbor.”

You looked at him again, confused this time. “But,” you said as you looked between him and the lesser part of your birthday present. “How do we… I mean. The harbor?”

Your soulmate, being the person he was, knew just what you were saying. “There’s a twin of this waiting for us on the beach. As for this one…. well, I’ve got a guy.”

Every day and night with Ryan Haywood seemed strange, but tonight was especially so. Whomever or whatever had decreed that you would have a soulmate would have your eternal gratitude. Ryan knew you better even than you knew yourself, you reflected. 

Ryan Haywood was it for you…. and you planned to prove it. Time to Jet Ski off into the sunset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, I beg you to comment. If what you have to say is mean, okay. If it's nice, even better. Either way, I really want to hear. Thanks everyone!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first posted fic and I would so love it if you left comments!


End file.
